BOTANY. 
139 
fertile aments only were collected by Dr. Bigelow, while Mr. Bentham describes only the male 
flowers. There can be little doubt that our plant is the same as his. The fertile aments appear 
after the leaves are nearly unfolded, and are produced at the extremity of short lateral branches. 
They are cylindrical, and about two inches long. The capsules are smooth and distinctly pedi¬ 
cellate. Style short, but evident. Stigmas 2-lobed. Leaves 2^ inches long and 6-8 lines wide, 
distinctly serrulate. There are in Dr. Bigelow’s collection more advanced specimens of what 
appears to be only S. lasiandra. The leaves are fertile, aments are larger, but in other respects 
there is little difference. 
Salix Bigelovii (sp. nov.): foliis obovatis vel cuneato-oblongis obtusissimis integerrimis 
subtus griseo-pubescentibus supra glabratis nitidulis ; amentis (foemineis) brevi pedunculatis 
cylindricis elongatis crassis, basi bracteosis ; ovariis pedicellatis acutiusculis glabris ; stylo 
elongato ; stigmatibus brevibus bilobis ; squamis persistentibus villosis. Near San Francisco ; 
April 8, (with immature fruit.) Twigs rather stout, slightly pubescent, dark-brown, and 
dull. Leaves 1^-2 inches long, and | to f of an inch broad, on short petioles of a firm but not 
coriaceous texture. Female catkins nearly two inches long, and more than one-third of an inch 
in diameter ; the peduncle 3-4 lines long ; the small leafy bracts at base deciduous. Ovary 
ovate, supported on a distinct pedicel. Scale about one-fourth the length of the ovary, dark- 
brown, but the color is concealed by the strong villous pubescence. We know not what else to 
do with this well characterized willow but to describe it as a new species. It does not appear to 
have been noticed by any writer on the plants of California and Oregon. The species to which 
it seems nearest allied is S. planifolia of Hooker. The male flowers were not found. In the 
collection of Dr. Bigelow was a Salix with female catkins only, which is perhaps the same 
species as the one just described, but in a younger state. The leaves are silky-pubescent under¬ 
neath, and slightly pointed. 
Two or three other Salices were collected in California, but we are unwilling to decide on 
them without a more extensive study of all the allied species than we can give them at present. 
ORTICACEiE. 
Urtica urens, Linn. Sp. 2. p. 284; Torr. FI. N. York. 2. p. 222. Plains near San Gabriel; 
March 23. Probably introduced from Europe. 
HESPEROCNIDE, Nov. Gen. 
Flores monoici. Masc. Calyx 4-partitum ; foliolis aequalibus concavis patentibus. Stamina 
4. Ovarii rudimentum. Fem. Perigonium oblongo-ovatum, ventricosum; ore minuto bidentato ; 
Ovarium liberum, ovatum, sessile; stigma sessile, pencillatum. Achenium lato, ovatum lenticu- 
lari-compressum, calyce membranaceo immutato tectum. Herba annua Californica ; pilis uren- 
tibus; foliis oppositis ovatis petiolatis dentatis ; floribus laxe glomeratis axillaribus, masculi et 
fceminei in iisdem glomerulis. 
Hesperocnide tenella. —Shady rocks, Napa Valley, California ; April 25. Stem slender, 3-8 
inches high, simple, armed with scattered conspicuous stinging hairs. Leaves broadly ovate, 
5-8 lines in diameter ; obtuse, serrate-dentate, beset with a few stinging hairs on both sides, 
and finely ciliate on the margin ; petiole about one-third the length of the lamina. Axillary 
glomerules 15-20-flowered, on short pedicels, mostly female, there being usually only one or 
two males in a cluster. Male. Calyx deeply 4-parted; the segments concave and somewhat 
saccate at the summit. Stamens nearly twice as long as the calyx. In the centre of the flower 
is the rudiment of an ovary. Female flowers articulated to a short stalk. Calyx clothed with 
short uncinate hairs, acute, the orifice minute, bidentate. Ovary loosely but completely enclosed 
in the calyx. Stigma terminal, nearly sessile, consisting of a tuft of short-jointed hairs. 
Achenium enclosed in the thin membranaceous calyx, orbicular-ovate, acute, somewhat coriace¬ 
ous, brownish. Embryo in thin albumen ; cotyledons transversely reniform-orbicular ; radicle 
